West Virginia Democrat. [volume] (Charles Town, W. Va.) 1885-1890, 1887-08-05
GEORGE MASON OF GUNSTON
HALL.

Sir: The description of the Post
July 5. by III. f. W." of the Home
of the Masons," in Fairfax County,
Va, though full of interest as a
sketch of the place, is wanting in
important points of family history,
of which the writer candidly admits
ait is singularly hard to learn from
books any details" Some of these
details / am enabled to supply from
trustworthy source, and venture to
offer for your columns.
The founder of this great Vir-
ginia family"was Col. George Mason
(not john, "a member of the Long
Parliament and soldier in the Cav
alier Army" He came to Norfolk
County, Virginia, in 1861, but soon
removed to plantation on Acohick
Creek, near Pasbitaney, on the Po-
tomac, where he lived, died, and was
was buried. In 1916 he command
ed volunteer force against the In
dians in Racons rebellion, and the
same year represented his county of
Stafford in the House of Burgesses.
This county had been the proceed
ing year carved out of Westmore-
land, and had been named at Col.
Mason's instance, after his native
shire in England
His eldest son, the second George
Mason, married Mary, daughter of
Gerard Fowke, Esq, of Gunston
Hall, Staffordshire, England. The
eldest son of this marriage was the
third George Mason, who like his
father before him, lived and died on
the patrimonial estate of Acohick.
Their wills are of record in Stafford
County Court in ITO and 17l5 res
pectively. The fourth Geooge Mason
eldest son of the last named, mar
ried daughter of Stevens ThOmp-
son, of the Middle Temple, Attorney
General of the colony of Virginia in
the reign ofQueen Anne. He estab-
lished plantation of 1000 acres at
Dogs Neck, on the Potomac, in
what was then Stafford now Fair
fax), and was Lieutenant of that
county in 1719. Though meeting
his death by the accidental upset
ing of sailboat on the river, his
body was laid TO rest at Doeg's Neck.
He left a daughter and two sons.
The eldest of these sons was Geo.
Mason, the fifth of the name, born
in 1926, the author of the Declara
tion of Rights who, inheriting his
fathers estate, changed the name
and erected there handsome man
sion. which he called Gunston Hall.
The Younger brother was Thompson
Mason, who fixed his residence in
the county of Loudon, which he fire.
quently represented IN the House OF
Burgcsses, and was eminent as a
lawyer His son, Stevens Thomp-
son Mason, was member OF the
Virginia Convention that adopted
the Federal Constitution, and sub
seauently United States Senator,
dignity which was also attained
by his son, Armistead Thompson
Mason.
George Mason Of Gunston Hall
married Ann Eilbeck of Charles
County, Maryland, who died at the
age of tGirty-nine. After many
years he marrcd Il lady named Brent
but of this union there was no issue.
His eldest son, George of Lexing-
ton, the Sixth of the name, cap
tain in the Revolutionary Army, sue
ceeded on his fathers death in 1892
to the possession Of Gunston Hall,
and was the last that ever lived there.
In the five generations since, his
time there have been several George
Masons, but is not in any sense cor
rect to say that "eight generations"
of them shave gone out from Gun
ston Hail."
George Mason Of Gunston left five
sons and four daughters, all of whom
married and had issue. The fourth
and last surviving son was John
Mason of Analostan Island, the faith
er of James Murray Mason, who
was from 1S47 to 1861 United States
Senator from Virginia. With Sill
del he figured in the Trent affair,
and was afterwards Confederate
Commissioner in England. He is
the only direct descendant ever in
the upper House of Congress.
The eldest daughter of John Ma
son became the wife of the late Sam
uei Cooper, formerly in the Federal
service. and afterwards Adjutant-
General of the Confederate Army, of
which he was ranking officer. An
other daughter married S. Smith
Lee, brother OF Robert f. Lee, and
is the mother of the present Govern
or of Virginia. Both these ladies
survive.
There may be "a family of Masons
still living in Fairfax County who
were stanch Unionists during the re-
bellion," but thcy are not descend
ants of the author of The Declara-
tion of Rights" none of whom, to my
certain knowledge, were ever untrue
! To their State.